Where in the world ?

[exlondoner]

28 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

I am definitely running low on names. I'll look for some more later today, but this may be my last one and it's a stretch. Submitted for consideration today is Abyssinia.

 

SS Abyssinia was a Cunard liner from 1870 to 1880.

 

My attempt to establish a tenuous link between Abyssinia and a port visited by a Cunard ship involves the port of Massawa during World War II. Abyssinia includes the modern-day countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The latter includes the port of Massawa.

 

One reference I've found to Cunard and Massawa is on "birtwistlewiki.com.au" which says HMT (His Majesty's Transport) Queen Mary and HMT Aquitania were part of a convoy from Suez to Fremantle via Massawa and the Maldive Islands, 24 January - 18 February 1943.

 

Quoting from that website:

 

"On 24 Jan 1943 the [Australian 2/28th] battalion embarked on HMT Queen Mary for Fremantle. The Operation Pamphlet convoy comprised HMT Queen Mary, HMT Aquitania, SS Île de France, SS Nieuw Amsterdam, and HMT Queen of Bermuda. Port Tewfik couldn't handle them all at once so in sequence they loaded, sailed down the Red Sea to Massawa where they anchored until all of the convoy had loaded. The Queen Mary, also carrying the 2/32nd Battalion was there for a week before it was able to set sail for Australia."

 

Wouldnt that convoy have been a splendid sight to see?

[sfred]

If we're nearing the end of the current game, I have a suggestion for the next one...

 

We all fondly recall the history and tradition of the Cunard building in Liverpool, one of the famous Three Graces near the waterfront.  A Cunard video is attached below with some good images.

 

 

Are there other cities in the world that still have "Cunard buildings"?  A Cunard building would be a still-existing building that has the Cunard name prominently featured, or has some past association with the Cunard brand (including the White Star Line), or has a historical plaque or sign that commemorates the Cunard nautical heritage of the building site.

 

There are at least five buildings that I can recall...  I suspect that this observant and illustrious group will probably know of several more.

 

To kick it off, there's the heritage-listed Cunard building at the other side of the Atlantic, 25 Broadway in New York.  Built by Cunard in 1921, it was the line's New York headquarters and sales office until 1968.  The US post office used the lobby from 1974 until 2000.  The building remains in use currently.  Photos are from Google street view.

 

 

 

[exlondoner]

Oceania House in Cockspur Street, just off Tragalgar Square, is still there and so named, though last time I looked it housed a pizza restaurant. It is in the pictures of people looking at lists of Titanic survivors.

[sfred]

Good one, @exlondoner.  I had forgotten that building.  A current photo from street view is below.

 

[bluemarble]

One parting contribution from me for our game of identifying Cunard ships named for places that have been visited by Cunard ships. I'll wrap things up from me by adding Cuba.

 

SS Cuba was launched in 1864 and remained in service with Cunard until 1876.

 

Cunard ships have visited Havana, Cuba numerous times over the years. I've found references to Caronia, Carmania and Mauretania all having called there during 1929-1930. Caronia and Carmania each had weekly sailings between New York and Havana during that winter. I've also found a reference to Mauretania calling at Havana in 1956.

 

Now back to the new game @sfred started about identifying Cunard buildings...

[bluemarble]

The Cunard Building in Boston, Massachusetts. Here's a link to a photo from Wikimedia Commons.

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cunard_Building_Boston_(6234553876).jpg

 

 

 

[sfred]

Some Wikipedia info on Oceanic House in London...

 

"Oceanic House is a grade II listed former office building at 1 Cockspur Street, in the City of Westminster, London. It was designed by Henry Tanner junior and was completed in 1907. It was originally the London headquarters of the White Star Line from which tickets for the RMS Titanic were sold. It later became a Barclays Bank, was used by the British Ministry of Defence, and became the Texas Embassy Cantina restaurant which closed in 2012. In 2016 it was converted into six luxury apartments and a duplex penthouse. It is owned by the Crown Estate."

[sfred]

10 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

The Cunard Building in Boston, Massachusetts. Here's a link to a photo from Wikimedia Commons.

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cunard_Building_Boston_(6234553876).jpg

 

Very good @bluemarble .  That is one of the other Cunard buildings I had also thought of.  126 State Street in Boston.  The interior lobby contains a model of the Cunard ship Servia, a gift from Cunard to the building during the 175th anniversary celebrations.  Launched in 1881, Servia was the first Cunard ship to have an electric lighting installation.

 

[exlondoner]

9 hours ago, sfred said:

Good one, @exlondoner.  I had forgotten that building.  A current photo from street view is below.

 

 

Thank you. And almost immediately opposite is the former North German Lloyd office, with the companies insignia still visible. Not Cunard, but sort of nice.

[exlondoner]

I assume there simply must be one in Halifax, but I don't recall it. I do remember going into the NY one, when it was a Post Offcie. This was after my first TA.

[exlondoner]

This is Cunard House, their former city office in Leadenhall Street. They certainly had an amazing selection of buildings.

 

 

[Underwatr]

I was going to mention Halifax's Cunard Centre but decided people might not get my humor.

[exlondoner]

Amazingly, also in London, there is a Cunard House in Regent Street.

 

[bluemarble]

I figured Cobh, Ireland might be worth checking. Here are a couple links to photos of the Cunard Centre there. A bit older than the Cunard Centre in Halifax. 😉 The second link also includes a photo of the Lusitania Memorial.

 

https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/81/95/5819517_db9cdae7_original.jpg

 

https://www.letsgoireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Lusitania-Memorial-Cobh-Ireland-and-the-former-Cunard-Line-Offices-Cobh-Ireland-1024x536.jpg

[exlondoner]

In Montreal there is an Edifice de Cunard available for leasehold. It looks quite like some of the others.

 

 

[sfred]

8 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I assume there simply must be one in Halifax, but I don't recall it. I do remember going into the NY one, when it was a Post Offcie. This was after my first TA.

 

5 hours ago, Underwatr said:

I was going to mention Halifax's Cunard Centre but decided people might not get my humor.

 

As @bluemarbleindicates, there is a "Cunard Centre" in Halifax.  But it is a function/event venue rather than a historical Cunard building.  But given the importance of Halifax for Cunard, I would've thought there used to be some building for ticket sales and administration.   Perhaps now lost to the redevelopment wrecking ball.  My amateur internet investigations from the opposite side of the world did not reveal any locations, and I can't recall any evidence from walking around the city on port calls.

 

 

[sfred]

5 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Amazingly, also in London, there is a Cunard House in Regent Street.

 

 

Thanks @exlondoner, 15 Regent Street is the London Cunard building I was originally thinking of, before you reminded me of the White Star Line Oceanic building on Cockspur St.  Regent Street was the line's main sales office in London. 

 

I was not previously aware of Leadenhall Street.  It appears that this building was an administrative office.  I wonder how responsibilities were divided between Liverpool and London? 

 

From layersoflondon.org, the following description of the Leadenhall building:

 

"Cunard House was opened on 26 September 1932 by Mr H. W. Corry, joint deputy manager of the Cunard Company, and was claimed to be one of the greatest shipping centres in the city of London.

A handsome eight-storey structure in a simplified Renaissance style, the building occupied an area of nearly 22,000 square feet running from the Leadenhall Street frontage through to Bury Street behind.  It gathered the entire City interests of the Cunard Line and its Associated Companies - the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, and Anchor Line. The concentration of these famous shipping companies in one building marked yet another development not only in the expansion of the Cunard Line but also in their association with the City and Port of London, an association which dates back to 1840 when the Cunard Line was inaugurated."

[sfred]

3 hours ago, bluemarble said:

I figured Cobh, Ireland might be worth checking. Here are a couple links to photos of the Cunard Centre there. A bit older than the Cunard Centre in Halifax. 😉 The second link also includes a photo of the Lusitania Memorial.

 

https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/81/95/5819517_db9cdae7_original.jpg

 

https://www.letsgoireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Lusitania-Memorial-Cobh-Ireland-and-the-former-Cunard-Line-Offices-Cobh-Ireland-1024x536.jpg

 

Yes, definitely @bluemarble.  Cobh is one of the cities I was originally thinking of.  Remaining today is the Cunard building at 20 West Beach Street, and the adjacent White Star Line building at 21 Casement Square.  These were sales and ticketing offices, and local administration.  Passengers boarded tenders at the nearby docks, for transfer out to the ships at anchor. 

 

Prominently displayed on the Cunard building is the below medallion with the Cunard lion and crown.

 

[sfred]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

In Montreal there is an Edifice de Cunard available for leasehold. It looks quite like some of the others.

 

 

 

Excellent, thanks @exlondoner.  I did not know about this one.  It looks like Cunard occupied the building from 1960 to 1974.  From patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca:

 

"In 1913, a new office building, located at the corner of rue Saint-Jean and rue de l'Hôpital, welcomed its first occupants. It stands on regrouped lots where smaller buildings were erected in the 19th century, occupied by merchants and various representatives. William Francis Lewis gradually acquired these lots before transferring ownership to the Lewis Building Co. which, in 1912, built the new skyscraper. Architect Kenneth Guscotte Rea is the designer of this imposing 10-story building.

The Lewis Building Co. reserves space on the 10th floor and leases the many offices it has. From its inauguration, there was a diverse clientele there, but insurance companies and their representatives made up more than half of the tenants. This marked presence of insurance companies characterized the building for about fifty years.

In February 1947, the Lewis Building Co. sold the building to the Prudential Assurance Co., which then occupied the entire second floor. In April 1960, the Cunard shipping company became the owner and set up its Canadian head office there. For its needs, Cunard occupies several floors of the building and this presence attracts new tenants within its walls. In 1970, many insurance companies left and were replaced by companies linked to the maritime trade. Some of these companies remained in the building even after the departure of Cunard in 1974. In the early 1990s, renovation and restoration work on the building was undertaken. "

[sfred]

To summarise the status of our Cunard building challenge, we've identified the following cities and locations so far:

• Liverpool (of course!)
• Cunard Building, 25 Broadway, New York
• 126 State Street, Boston
• Cunard Centre, Halifax (an honorable mention, as it is not a real Cunard building, but it does have the Cunard name prominently featured)
• Cunard, 15 Regents Street, London
• Cunard, Leadenhall Street, London
• Oceanic House, Cockspur Street, London
• Cunard 20 West Beach Cobh
• White Star Line 21 Casement Square, Cobh
• 465 Rue Saint-Jean, Montreal Quebec

Remaining is one additional city (that I know of), and two additional buildings in one of the cities we've already identified.  I'm also still doing some research on two other city possibilities.

 

 

[exlondoner]

8 hours ago, sfred said:

To summarise the status of our Cunard building challenge, we've identified the following cities and locations so far:

• Liverpool (of course!)
• Cunard Building, 25 Broadway, New York
• 126 State Street, Boston
• Cunard Centre, Halifax (an honorable mention, as it is not a real Cunard building, but it does have the Cunard name prominently featured)
• Cunard, 15 Regents Street, London
• Cunard, Leadenhall Street, London
• Oceanic House, Cockspur Street, London
• Cunard 20 West Beach Cobh
• White Star Line 21 Casement Square, Cobh
• 465 Rue Saint-Jean, Montreal Quebec

Remaining is one additional city (that I know of), and two additional buildings in one of the cities we've already identified.  I'm also still doing some research on two other city possibilities.

 

 

 

I cant help feeling that, in view of the number of emigrants from the Med. carried by Cunard and White Star, there should be some offices in somewhere like Trieste or Naples. After all, that is where Carpathia was going when her journey was so famously interrupted. But I haven't found anything.

[exlondoner]

9 hours ago, sfred said:

 

 

 

I was not previously aware of Leadenhall Street.  It appears that this building was an administrative office.  I wonder how responsibilities were divided between Liverpool and London? 

 

 

 

At that time, all the British shipping companies tended to have some sort of presence in Leadenhall Street, if only so they could have a London  address.

[exlondoner]

So, are we counting Carnival House in Soton? It is their current U.K. HQ.

[exlondoner]

Does 555 Fifth Avenue have any remaining signs of its Cunard connection?

[exlondoner]

On 12/14/2020 at 10:13 PM, bluemarble said:

One parting contribution from me for our game of identifying Cunard ships named for places that have been visited by Cunard ships. I'll wrap things up from me by adding Cuba.

 

SS Cuba was launched in 1864 and remained in service with Cunard until 1876.

 

Cunard ships have visited Havana, Cuba numerous times over the years. I've found references to Caronia, Carmania and Mauretania all having called there during 1929-1930. Caronia and Carmania each had weekly sailings between New York and Havana during that winter. I've also found a reference to Mauretania calling at Havana in 1956.

 

Now back to the new game @sfred started about identifying Cunard buildings...

 

Last night, when I was looking for books with pictures of Cunard buildings, I found a little book called Cunardia, bought on board, which had a rather imprescise map of areas the ships were named after. This led me to wonder if Trieste was in Carinthia?